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If you only wore dresses ...

MuseumGal

Veteran

If you only wore dresses (not skirts and tops), how many would you want? How often would you want to repeat?

I'm finding I don't want to wear the same dress within a two week span, so theoretically, I'd want about 15 day/work dresses. Given that summer here lasts a good 5 months, let's say that's 20 weeks, or 100 work days. Each dress would get worn an average of 6 or 7 times over the summer. If I upped it 20 dresses, they'd average 5 wears each. Hmmm ... I just ordered two more linen dresses from J Jill and was feeling guilty, but given that I wear one nearly every day in the summer, I now feel justified. Yay for girl math!

Over to you ... what kind of numbers would you want for an all dress summer wardrobe?

Dressing

36 replies

Latest reply was from Joy

Diana

Veteran

7 if I was being really minimalist (one a day), 14 if I want to be happy. I find that on really hot summer days I want to wash after every wear, even if it's just a quick dip in the sink. I have enough underwear, socks, and bras to go 2 weeks without doing laundry, so I'd want the same for my dresses. Plus I think once per 2 weeks is long enough to prevent boredom.

Interestingly I do have 7 (+ one I don't wear very often) summer day dresses (not counting loungewear dresses), but I also wear other things.

I could be happy just wearing dresses every day in summer!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

15 does sound about right if you're wearing them every day and your summer is long. Diana's point about laundering is a good one too. Heck, I've got 5ish and I only wear them one or two times a week in summer.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

For summer, I'd probably want quite a few. If I worked outside the home in an office, I'd want dresses for work, and then I'd want casual dresses for at home. Plus I'd want a few for date night.

Guessing here, but I expect I'd want at least 10 work dresses, assuming some of them were "blank canvas" type of dresses that I'd change the look of with accessories, and some were more statement-type prints.

Add about 5 casual dresses, and 2 date night dresses. At minimum.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

20 sounds right for me. I don't like repeating every week or even every other week.

E

Veteran

15 sounds reasonable to me!

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

If you're really minimal

http://theuniformproject.com/year1/

Diana

Veteran

OK, you have me thinking about this some more.

So of my 7 dresses, five of them are some shade of blue (2 navy solid, 1 cobalt print, 2 navy print) and six of them, with the exception of #5) are some variation on the waistless/sack/swing dress silhouette (although a couple of them have waist ties and of course I can belt many of them). When I want a different silhouette (or something that's not blue, lol) I just wear a skirt+top. I have for some reason a lot more variety in my skirts. I wonder if ALL I wore was dresses I'd want some more variety?

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Sal

Veteran

I would think 14, if I was to wear nothing else.

2 evening/going out
4 casual/weekend
8 work appropriate

Given I work from home that would give me enough options.

I wash clothes every day, at least one load, so I rarely have laundry bottlenecks!!

carter

Veteran

I'd be all over a P333 is I only wore dresses. By my math, you should plan a P555!

Brooklyn

Veteran

I think for summer I would need at least 10 for work, 7 for casual wear and 2 for fancy wear. I would need at least one per day for casual wear because it gets so hot here and that would allow enough time to launder.

Thistle

Veteran

I can't wear dresses right now as I'm nursing. But if I did wear them daily, I would want between 10-15. No fewer than 10 so I don't get bored and as I don't love doing laundry. This is even with my shorter summers. I would get bored of dresses faster as there are fewer remix possibilities, hence why I would want closer to 15.

MuseumGal

Veteran

Diana, I love your blue dresses. Do you find you wear the plain blue ones more often than the patterned ones?

Laura, 15 does seems like a sweet spot. That's my goal for the summer, I think.

Suz, I do have different dresses for home, and some dressier ones too.

Linda, agreed - I want at least two weeks between wearings, I think.

E - only 15? I thought your maximalist heart would want more (one in each of your favorite colors and each of your favorite silhouettes, and each of your favorite fabrics ...)

annagybe - I've been fascinated by that project, BUT, it seems she has an entire wardrobe she wears on top of her basic dress

Kiwi, you're too minimal for me!

carter - so 55 items for 5 months? that sounds extremely doable, especially if it's summer. although this summer i've had to pull out cooler weather things that normally never get worn in the summer, like granny boots!

Brooklyn, you numbers add up to 19, which sounds pretty reasonable.

yay, Thistle, someone else who admits to wanting variety just for the sake of variety!

This has been interesting! I'm going to do an August dress challenge, experiment. Anyone want to join??

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I will wear the same dress two days in a row and not mind one bit.

MG, I think you're looking at bout 20 dresses to cover all settings over 5 months.

Windchime

Veteran

Interesting question! Okay, so this is only dresses and no skirt/top outfits, right? Here's what I think I'd want...

Work: 18 (I dress for work five or six days most weeks and like variety.)
Casual: 8 (for days when I change clothes after work)
Dressy: 4 (I am frequently a musician for weddings and funerals)

These numbers would all be multiplied by 2 or 3 to cover all seasons of the year.

rose

I love dresses in the summer!I find them cool and comfortable, and quite figure -flattering. I'm quite a lazy dresser so probably that is part of the reason- underthings, dress and shoes and I am ready! I think I probably wear them more often than not now for work. A quick count gives me 6 for work and I have 4 'going out'… but always want more!

Diana

Veteran

I think I wear them equally. The nice thing about dresses is you don't have to really pair them with anything so print mixing, etc isn't an issue. I think for summer the sleeveless ones are more versatile because they are cool enough for really hot days and easy to pop a cardi or jacket over for AC. With the sleeved ones not all my toppers fit over the sleeves, and they are a bit hot for the really dreadful days.

Banoffi

Veteran

If it were an all-dress work wardrobe, I would need at least 10 dresses. I like to go two weeks before repeating an outfit if possible.

I don't have many work dresses, but love wearing the few I do have. It makes getting ready in the morning so easy. All I have to think about is shoes and jewelry and I'm set.

frannieb

Veteran

Another I like variety and find dresses to be somewhat limiting.
If I only wore dresses I would need 15 for work - my personal rotation for wearing a dress is about once every three weeks, even my no statementy dresses.

Joy

Veteran

This is a hard question because I am so used to mixing separates. If I love the dress and fit, i don't mind repeating often. I think I'd need about 10 daily easy care dresses and 5 dressier ones,or 15 total. A mix of color and neutrals, plain and pattern, length, sihillouettes, and necklines would help.

E

Veteran

Oh I thought we were talking about you and whether your order from j Jill was justified! lol My maximalist heart can't even conceive of giving up separates or layering pieces for 5 months out of the year. But 15-20 would cover my favourite colours and a few patterns...if I could divide them between linen and cotton/silk voile blends, and have a couple that were long sleeves and could be layered over/under the sleeveless ones, I might even be happy. Interesting thought! I'm working on seeing my very first dress now; perhaps in a few years dresses will have taken over my closet and separates will be a distant memory.

Lucy

Veteran

LOL, you have mirrored my recent dilemma!
I moved in January to a much warmer climate (still in Australia), where it is absolutely impossible to wear anything more than once for 8 or so months of the year. Everything needs to be washed all of the time!
In the height of summer, dresses are definitely more comfortable than separates, which I do wear a lot in autumn and the glorious season that passes for "winter" here.
So I go work in the office 4 days per week, and then one day at home. I had only a few office worthy summer dresses, as at my last academic job we tended to dress down over summer when the students were not around. So I had only 4 or 5 good work dresses. Before we moved, I bought another 5. And then in June I bought another 5 because I really needed the variety!! By this stage they were on deep sale, as it was winter, but they were lovely frocks I would have paid more for
So I think I can't do less than 20 summer frocks, at least 15 for work and 5 for play. For some reason I am much better with repetition on the weekends than on weekdays..... I must say it has been lovely, however, to get out my clothes for the cooler, more temperate months....

Maneera

(website)

Veteran

I would need about 20-25. I would want Atleast 14 casual dresses( I work from home) in a range of colours that are all knit or woven cotton/linen with stretch. That would be to avoid boredom and to stay 'Happy'.

I would need about 8 for going out - 4 could be colours I would wear in daytime (or pretty prints) and 4 night/date dresses(in dark colours).

Staysfit

Veteran

As a dress maximalist owner of 32 dresses, I think 20 is about the correct number. I wear dresses almost exclusively in the summer, although I also mix in skirt/top combinations, and I don't like to repeat more than 1.5 to 2 times in a month, so I actually have around 16 per seasonal group.

My August challenge is to wear dresses every day. I should be starting with today but sadly, I am in the hospital with a severe migraine that just wouldn't go away. I guess a hospital gown can count as a dress. :-). I will know soon if my 16 spring/summer dresses are enough to comfortably get me through a month.

The dresses take up a lot of closet space, so that is the one difficulty with them. I am moving towards finding dresses that are made of materials that can work year round if I add in wool tights and a long sweater for fall/winter, etc. that would allow me to reduce my numbers. One of my goals is to fit everything into my closet, and to do this I am trying to find ways of reducing without compromising too much on my wish for variety.

Staysfit

Veteran

Thistle, I just read that you say you cannot wear dresses because you are nursing. I definitely wore dresses when I was nursing both of my children. There is at least one company that makes decent looking dresses with concealed openings for nursing. I cannot recall the name, but I'm sure it exists.

Lucy

Veteran

Staysfit - I hope you are feeling better from your migraine!!!!

Word Lily

Veteran

I think I'd need 15 or so, too. (Also: Is summer really only 5 months in Oklahoma?)

And yes, Staysfit, hope you're feeling better soon!

Traci

Veteran

It would depend, for me, on the style of dresses, and fabrication. I'd be good with 5-8 if they were simple and basic layering type dresses. If they were more complete outfit in one type dresses I'd probably want 15 or so. Lately I'm more into simple dresses and then changing them up with a light jacket or sweater, footwear, jewelry...even my hairstyle (up with big earrings, or down with studs) seems to totally change up a simple dress.

Anonymous

14-15 for me. I would want a minimum of a two-week rotation. Although I could do 7, I would not be as happy with my wardrobe or myself.

celia

Veteran

Pertinent question. I love to wear dresses on summer although they are my major go to I do wear separates also.
Even so, I did a quick count and without separating by categories I have 25 dresses. Some of them I can wear for formal and less formal events, some of them I will layer under cardigans or blazers or with thights or leggings for fall and spring. I probably wouldn't repeat the same dress in a same week but I would wear it the next week with different shoes or another belt.
To your point 20 dresses for 5 months if you only wear dresses it doesn't sound excessive.

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